Film-gate for moving-picture machines.



B. A. PROGTOR.

IILM GATE FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLIOATloN FILED M1120, 1911.

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iT-Ehlll @hilltllhli BARTON A. PROCTOR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PICTUREGRAPH COMPA JY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FILM-GATE FOR MOVING-PICTURE MACHINES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented .time io, reta.

Application led December 20, 1911. Serial No. 667,045.

To all w/om t may concern Be it known that 1, BARTON A.l Pnooron, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Film-.Gates for Moving-Picture Machines,of which the following is a fullclear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in film gates for moving picture machines..

ing the gate so as to hold it against the film l properly, has been rather complicated, and the gates d0 not usually hold the films as smooth as could be desired.

The object of my invention is to simplify this hlm gate construction and produce a film gate which is extremely simple and inexpensive, which for this reason is not likely to get out of order, which can be instantly adjusted so as to release or clamp Vthe film, and which when in position to guide the fil-m will hold it resiliently or yieldingly and yet in a manner to perfectly guide it. As a result the film is held smooth-and straight and yet permitted to move freely' through f side Iportions of the film as it passes across the machine.

Another object of my invention is tear-- range and construct the hlm gate so that it will be movable bodily in and out with relation to the film, thus rendering itunlikely to catch and bind the film.

lt further provide means whereby the gate can be readily moved, but whereby when in its operative position to hold thelm it will be held in place only by light springs, but the releasing movement is positive ,and not dependent on the springs.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specifi' cation, in which similar reference .characters indicate corresponding parts in all the viewsl Figure 1 is an inside elevation of a por tionv of a moving picture machine showing my improved attachments. F ig. 2 is a section on the line.22 of F ig. 1, and F ig. 3 is a sectional plan of the attachment.

The body or case 10 of the machine is as usual, and to it is applied a plate 11 which serves asa support for the gate attachments presently described, and which has the customary light opening 12 through which the picture from the film is projected'. The plate 11 is provided with a way 13 which eX- .tends usually in a vertical direction across the plate 11 from top to bottom, so as to traverse the light opening, and the backof fthe Way is relieved in the center as shown at 15, this part coming opposite the picture portion of the film and being the same width as the light opening 12, while the side edges of the film are held on the side portions of the way 13. 'The gate 16 is in :the form of a plain plate which fits snugly but yet so as to be easily mounted in the vway 13, and which ismovable in and 'out with relation to the plate 11. The gate 16 is relieved 'in the' center 'as shown at 15a, :this part coming opposite the relieved poration 15 in the part 11.so that there will be ,no possiblefriction or Contact of parts on ithe picture portion of the film la while the edges of the lat-tei` are held securely, smoothly, and yet resiliently, as presently vdescribed betweenthe side portions of the gate 16 and Vthe wall of` the way 13 which is directly opposite said side or unrelieved porstions. The gate 16 is open in the center to :correspond with the aperture 12 of the plate ll, and is longer than the aperture so as t0 lso exert-a simple uninterrupted pressure on the the aperture, thus holding the film straight and dat at this point.

rlhe gate-16 is pressed gently but smoothly against the film 111 by light springs.- 17, which abut with the plate and are attached to adjusting screws 18, these turning in the lugs or ears 19 which are attached to the plates 20, and the latter aresecured to a lug or offset 21 on the back of the plate 11.' lt will be seen that by this arrangeyment t-he tension of the spring 17 can be nicely regulated so that the gate 16 will bear with the desired pressure on the film 14, but it will of course be seen that other means can be provided for supporting the screws 18 without in the least affecting the invention. lt will be observed that it is necessary to move back the gate 16 so that a fg; incanta iilm can be slipped edgeWise into and out of osition, and to this end the plate is provided With posts 22 Which connect by means of the journals 23 With the eccentrics or cams 24, Which are preferably circular in shape and 'Which ride on the ears 19 Which serve as abut-ments or the cams. rllhe cams are arranged in pairs as shown, and are connected by a bail-like handle 25. When the handle is turned to the position shown' in the drawing to move the gate 16 into positionto hold the nlm 14, the eccentrics or cams 24 are practically out of contact With the abutments or ears 19, so that the pressure on the gate 16 is eected by the springs 17 but When the gate is to be opened, the handle 25 is turned back to a position at right angles to that shown in the drawing, and this pulls out the posts 22 and opens the gate against the tension ot the spring 1'? so as to permit the insertion o-r removal of the iilm 14.

lit Will be seen that by this arrangement the gate can be instantly opened or closed, and that the necessary yielding pressure is produced, and it Will be further understood that While the spring attachment for tension, and the cam device or removal, are necessary, still the parts can be supported in very many dierent Ways Without afecting the principle of` the invention, the essential vthing of Which is to have the bodily moving gate, the spring pressure, and the handle mechanism tor moving the gate bodily against the tension of the spring to open it. ,y

It claim j 1. A moving picture machine having a Way for a film, said Way being apertured as usual and having the part above and below the aperture relieved and the sides left Hat, a gate comprising a plate relieved in its central portion and moving bodily in and out in the said Way, tension springs to press f the gate into the Way, and a handle mechanism arranged to move of the Way andagainst the tension of the springs.

2. ln a moving picture machine having a Way for a film, a spring pressed gate comprising a dat apertured plate moving bodily in and out oit' said Way and having its side portions arranged to fit flatWise against the Way at the sides of the aperture, and mechanism for moving out the gate against said spring tension.

3, lin a moving picture machine having an apertured film Way therein, a gate comprising an apertured plate having all its parts arranged tomove simultaneously in and out ot the said Way, tension springs behind the said gate, and a handle cam mechanism for eecting the movement ot the gate against the springs.

- 4. ln a moving picture machine having a film Way, a gat-e movable bodily in and out oi said Way, adjustable tension springs servingy as a backing tor the gate, cams provided With mounted behind the gate, and posts journaled eccentrically to the cams and connected to the gate, vvhereby the latter may be moved bodily against the tension of its springs.

5. ln a moving picture machine having a ilm Way, a gate movable bodily in and out of said Way, adjustable tension springs serving as a backing cams turning on a. suitable abutment behind the gate, and:y an operative connection between the cams and the gate Whereby the latter is moved against the tension ot its springs.

L BARTUN A. PRCTOR. Witnesses: v

fi/'Annan B. HUironiinson, l/VinLiAM H. Con.

a handley and rotatably,

A the gate bodily out for the gate, handled 

